Public safety cuts worry selectmen, special town meeting possible

Since the July 1 start of the new fiscal year, 66 police shifts have gone uncovered and the public safety budget is so diminished that some police officers are paying out of their own pockets to cover gas costs for their cruisers.

That was the bad news from selectmen at their Monday, Oct. 15 meeting, with board member John Malone saying he was “extremely concerned” about the police budget, department morale and whether training and certifications for personnel were being kept up due to strained finances.

The town has $389,000 in certified free cash and Malone proposed a Special Town Meeting to partially restore the public safety budget, as well as adding to the town’s stabilization and depreciation funds.

Town administrator Carol Riches told the board that at one point a police officer came in to provide back-up on a shift, without getting paid for it.

“It was of his own goodwill,” she said.

Selectman Frederick Goodrich noted that there seemed to be an increasing amount of break-ins in the area, and wondered about the town’s liability if an officer was injured while serving in an unpaid capacity.

Peter Bogren, select board chair, said the town’s primary duty is protecting the safety of its citizens.

When Bogren expressed concern earlier this year about the public safety budget to Finance Committee members, he said he felt he was spoken to “like an idiot.”

During the struggles over the spring and summer to contain the town budget, money was put back into the library at the expense of other budgets, Bogren said.

He noted that the Finance Committee did not invite Police Chief Robert Desrosiers to defend his budget to them, although selectmen arranged the meeting later on.

The state Department of Revenue recommends that the Finance Committee move the budget at the annual town meeting. Over the years, select boards may let their participation in the process diminish, Goodrich said.

Bogren said he felt the Finance Committee acknowledged selectmen’s concerns this year, but set them aside.

Selectmen will ask Finance Committee members to attend the board’s next meeting on Oct. 29. At that time, Malone will present specific recommendations to his board on replenishing departmental budgets from Free Cash.

Also at the meeting, selectmen:

Set a special election for Tuesday, Feb. 26, to consider a debt exclusion for the town’s share of the funds necessary to renovate Bay Path Regional Technical Vocational High School. Voters in the district approved the project earlier this month.

Met with recently appointed town Emergency Director Michael Pingitore, who said he was beginning an inventory of town equipment and supplies.

Granted a one-day liquor license to the Congregational Church for a Nov. 3 dinner and auction

-accepted the donation of used fire apparatus valued up to $25,000 that will be paid for by a donor